Onward in a Dark Reflection
by Freightrain
Summary: When Athena of TOS gets sucked into an anomaly, she thinks she'll never get to see anyone ever again... but in a sense, that isn't true when her ship is found by another, far different, Battlestar Galactica of the RDM'verse. Updates as time allows.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Battlestar Galactica (TOS) nor do I own Battlestar Galactica (RDM), nor do I own anything else that may or may not be spontaneously referenced, assuming this continues.

This is just a little idea that popped into my head since one of the Commander Adamas had a daughter and one did not... so what would happen, if 'There must be some way out of here' for the one known as Athena... Keep in mind I am ignoring a few things that would logically be a problem (lasers), and attributing them to the Anomaly.

Takes place sometime during season one or the first half of two of RDM, I never really made up my mind. For the TOS, this might just be the reason she disappeared...

- - -

_"Apollo! Starbuck! Do you copy?"_

_"I copy, Athena. Hang on! We're coming!"_

_"It's pulling me in... theres no way out..."_

_"Hold on just a little bit longer. Try to stay pointed away from the anomaly."_

_"I can't, Apollo, there's too much confusion."_

_"I know, I know, there's no relief, Athena, but keep trying! Do it for the dad!"_

_"No reason to get exited, Apollo, we'll get her out in time."_

_"You and I have been through this a lot more often than her, Starbuck."_

_"Yea, this wouldn't be our fate..."_

_"My Engines are cutting out!"_

_"Athena!"_

_"Hold on a little longer, Athena!"_

_"We're almost there!"_

_"Apollo... Tell dad I love him, no matter what."_

_"Athena!"_

_"NO!"_

- - -

"5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."

"Jump." There was a quick but long stretching sensation that everyone had by far gotten used to by now. Inventory the ships, assess any losses or damages taken...

"DRADIS contact; it's not one of ours, Commander," Dee reported in. The 'Voice of the Galactica' handled most of the incoming and outgoing chatter between the Galactica and the fleet, the Viper squadrons. "It's... It's a Viper, sir, Mk I. It's just sitting there, sir"

"Launch the alert Vipers and a couple Raptors; bring the thing in if you can." Commander Adama hadn't even seen a real Mk I in his live, they were all destroyed. All that was left were the models of them, a few non-working replicas, and the blueprints from which the Mk II's were made. He was no dummy when it came to the 'First' Cylon War, but he didn't know much about it's earlier portion; only the end did he take part in. The serious man looked to his XO for an opinion.

"It smells like a trap, Bill." Tigh was not the best XO in the fleet, or at least didn't use to be. Now he was, considering he was the only one left. "None of those things supposedly survived as intact as that thing is."

"I can understand them arriving after us and trying to pull a fast one on us, but waiting for us at our next jump destination, Saul? It smells like something else to me," the Commander said back, waiting from the reports from his pilots. He picked up the wireless. "This is Galactica, Actual. What's it look like out there?"

"Looks about as intact as our own Vipers, sir. Equally banged up, too." Lee 'Apollo' Adama was the CAG aboard Galactica, as well as the Commander's son. There was something that sounded off in his voice, however, as he reported in.

"Looks like there's someone still in there, sir." Starbuck added, "They might be dead, or possibly unconscious. "Request permission for the Raptors to bring it in."

"Granted. Bring the body down to Coddle in Sickbay. If it's alive, find out."

"Over and out." Commander Adama and Tigh just looked at one another, unable to figure any reality to such a strange happening, and the probability of it being a Cylon ploy.

"Take command, Tigh, I'll be in sickbay if you need me."

"Yes, sir."

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Awakening

"So, Commander, what brings you here?" Cottle asked, seeing William Adama walk into Sickbay. "You got a headache or somethin?" he joked, taking a puff of his cigar. The Commander just gave him a cold stare in response. "She's this way. Dr. Baltar is here, starting some tests to see if she's human or not. Preliminary results are green but he's just making sure with a 24 hour test."

"So she's human," Adama quietly said.

"Yes. I'm working on her DNA at the moment. There's no telling what'll turn up. It won't be too long until she wakes, though..."

"So she's still alive."

"Yes. She apparently hadn't been out there too long, but she's bruised up from the trip here, wherever it was that she came from."

"I'll have the Chief get to work on that. Where's Lee?"

"He's around, somewhere."

"Do you know where is in here?"

"How should I know? I'm a fracking doctor, not a tour guide. You go find Apollo on your own, Zeus." There was a murky smile on the Doctor's face. Adama got the hint, and walked on over to the curtains. He was there, looking at her as 'Zeus' stepped up. Lee looked up to see who it was, along with Starbuck, who was there next to him.

"She reminds me of Mom," Lee said. The woman had dark brown hair, and a relatively kind face underneath the bruises and cuts. Her injuries weren't too extensive for whatever she had been through. Commander Adama reflected on his wife back before the destruction of the colonies, before their divorce. Things hadn't worked out as much as they had hoped for, but when did that ever seem to happen anymore. Now, life as it had been, was over for the Colonies, and he had sent them on a trip to a legendary place, a place that he didn't even believe exist.

"Where do you think she came from, Admiral? This is the furthest we've found any survivors, let alone any from the military."

"I doubt that she was in the defense forces, Starbuck," Adama responded. "She was probably wealthy and owned one of the last Mk I's in existence, and flew off when the Colonies were destroyed in it with some ship before getting lost. No one uses those for anything anymore, not even standard museums. They'd rather have the Mk II's."

The phone began to ring. Adama, assuming it was for him, walked over and answered it. His assumption was correct.

"Commander Adama?" It was Roslin. As if the day couldn't get any more stressful from this point on.

"Present." His reply reflected his mild frustration with the situation, giving a hint to the President of the Colonies.

"Some of my aids have informed me that we found something of interest in space once we jumped into the system."

"That would be correct, Madam President."

"What was it that you found, Commander?" He hesitated to tell her the story so far, but it wasn't a long one.

"We found another survivor in a Mk I Viper, floating in space. Preliminary tests say she's not a Cylon, but Baltar's doing a secondary check just to make sure. Presently, she's unconscious, but she could wake up any moment now according to Cottle."

"Anything dangerous about the situation?" She wanted to come, and if the president wanted to come, the president wound up coming, one way or another.

"I suppose there's the chance that she is in fact a Cylon, but even if we knew that, you'd still come."

"I'll be onboard Galactica in an hour. Find out what you can about her if she wakes up."

"Yes, Madam President."

"Oh, Commander, try not to be so grumpy when she wakes up." She hung up on him before he got the chance to respond. It only helped agitate him further.

"Lee?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Tell Tigh to prepare for the President's arrival in one hour. I'll be here when she gets here."

"Yes, sir." Lee walked over to the phone to inform CIC as the Commander walked over and stood next to Starbuck. Waiting for the inevitable was a hard thing to do for him.

- - -

"Commander!" Athena heard someone call out.

"What?" Someone said from further away. She heard footsteps as she opened her eyes.

"She's awake, Dad," the younger man standing next to her said. Next to him was the girl that shouted out to the Commander. She didn't recognize them or their uniforms; probably one of the various minor tribes of humanity on another planet. Her head hurt as she tried to recall what happened, but all she could remember was falling into that anomaly, saying goodbye to her family.

"Oh," she groaned as she put her hand to her head. She saw an older man standing next to the two now, the 'Commander dad person,' if she was correct. He had a rough, worn down, tired face that seemed frozen with apprehension and guilt. He had been through a lot. He was another warrior; they all were. "My head..."

"I'll have the Doc get you some painkillers when he comes back," the old man said. "Who are you?" She thought for a bit. They didn't seem all that advanced, and it could be another Cylon trap. If they were Cylons, it was a great strech for them to be this imaginative. Still, she decided to be wary around these people, or at least for now.

"Just call me Athena. Everyone calls me Athena." The three eyed each other, noting the importance of her name.

"Miss Athena," she laughed a bit a that, "How exactly did you get here?"

"I was fighting the Cylons with my wing group, when I chased one too far into an Anomaly. I got the Raider, but the Gravity's pull was too great for me to escape, and I got pulled through. A couple of my friends told me they were coming, but in the end it didn't matter. Do you know of the Cylons, Commander?" she saw a look of hate in the girl's eyes. She seemed to know something about them.

"Tell me about your war with these Cylons." There was something in his voice that gave away he knew something and wasn't telling her everything. It reminded her slightly of her father, since she could do that to him as well. Perhaps the Cylons were holding his family hostage. But if they were behind it, why were they asking her to describe that which they already knew? She sat up to think about it, getting a good look around in the process. It was very militarily styled. It seemed appropriate.

"It started roughly a thousand Yaren ago... I don't really know why... but the war was fought mostly to a stalemate between them and the Twelve Colonies." The two younger people listening seemed very confused by this. "Eventually, the Cylons supposedly sued for peace, when in fact they were planning a massive assault on our military and our colonies. All the colonies were destroyed, and my father led them out on the last ship we had that could protect us." The old man once again prepaired a statement, thinking intensely after her last speech.

"Your father must be a great man to do such a thing. Where exactly did he say he was going to go after the Colonies were destroyed?" She heard that little... something in his voice again. "Who was he, exactly?" She hesitated. The Cylons knew this information already, so why were they asking? What was the purpose, to persuade her that this was real?

"My father was, and to my knowledge still is, the Commander of the last Battlestar Galactica. He intends to seek out the legendary thirteenth colony, known as Earth." The Commander just stood there, hiding whatever he was thinking inside. The girl just stared at her in a funny way... almost one she had seen before. The young man, the son of the Commander, he looked like he was going to blow.

"Frack me," he said as he threw his arms up in the air and turned around, walking a bit. "This has got to be some kind of ploy, dad, it just has to be." What was this? Were they from Earth? Was this Earth?

"Not now, Lee," the Commander said solemnly. "I take it you had family with your father?" By now, she was starting to think every time he spoke, it reminded her of her father holding something back.

"I had two Brothers. Zac died during the Attack on the Colonies to give my other brother, Apollo, a chance to warn Galactica. My mother also died during the Attack. I suppose you could count some of my brother's friends as close, such as Boomer, and especially Starbuck. I always thought he was kind of cute." The girl just opened her mouth, not sure of something, before getting a really angry look on her face. The Commander just looked over at her in a manner only someone close would understand. She heard some sort of door hinge open and close, and a woman walked in.

"Madam President," The Commander said quickly, "May I have a word with you in private?"

"Yes, Commander Ad..." What was she going to say?

"I would appreciate it if Lee and Kara could join us as well."

"Certainly, Commander. May I ask why?" The President didn't look the most enthused with him at the moment. It had to do with something about her being here, wherever here is.

"I'll tell you later..." The door closed, with Lee and Kara following the President and the Commander. Athena laid back down on the bed, wondering what that was all about. She thought about the old man again... and trying to figure him out.


	3. Beforeshocks

"Alright, Commander, What have you learned?" asked the President. He didn't respond, just looking into space almost. Instead, Apollo answered her instead.

"It's some kind of joke or prank, I swear it. She said they'd been fighting the Cylons for thousands of 'yaren,' or something like that. No clue what that is, but she also told us her story, and it sounded too much like our own, with some variation. Starbuck was a guy…"

"… Frakker…" Starbuck put in.

"… and she's supposedly Commander Adama's Daughter. She knew about Zak, too. I don't know, but I think she's a Cylon, like Boomer."

"Now, that's one hell of an assumption, Lee. I heard her, too, and I know what a Yaren is. It's the old Caprican term for year, but a bit shorter. Year is Kobolian standard, and the norm nowadays," Adama was interrupted by his son.

"If she's not a Cylon, Dad, what is she?"

"Did you find out her name?" Asked Rosalin.

"She said to call her 'Athena," Kara said. "Perhaps we ought to ask our Cylon if 'Athena' is a Cylon?"

"Not a bad idea… I guess." Adama looked around for a moment, before returning to the conversation. "You two fill in the President. Have someone call Tigh down to the hanger bay. I need to meet with Tyrol there, and I need his input."

"Why's that?"

"He's been in a real Mk I; used to pilot one in his early days. I need his input on how good of shape it is. Don't talk to Athena until I return."

"Yes, sir."

- - -

"Commander on deck!"

"At ease," Adama replied. "Where is it, Chief?"

Knowing completely what he was talking about, Tyrol started walking. "This way, sir."

"Have you taken a look at it yet?"

"Yes, sir," Tyrol quickly replied

"And?"

"A Mk I and a Mk I should compare in parts, correct?" Adama was puzzled by this. Had the Cylons modified it?

"Yes, Chief. However, the jump from the Mk I to the Mk II was the largest jump in the Viper Program, supposedly. Why?"

"Because I'm not sure this is in our family of Vipers. While she looks the same on the outside, there are a number of things under the hood that are so radically different they couldn't even be Cylon."

"Why's that?" Tyrol walked up to a part sitting on the wing that he had taken out of the weapon assembly. Adama had never seen such a device before.

"This is why, sir. What do the Cylons use for weapons?"

"Get to the point, Chief," Tigh said as he walked up, having heard some of their conversation. "What's so different about this bird?'

"She's too advanced to be Cylon. If the Cylons had this tech normally, then we wouldn't have survived the attack. They also aren't prototypes."

"Why's that?"

"Because they wouldn't be giving us their most advanced weapons that they don't even use, for one example."

"What kind of weapons?" Adama asked.

"Well, if I had to take an estimate on this, its an extremely efficient laser emitter. It charges quickly, and can discharge in spurts. This fighter could easily take on an entire squadron of Raiders with its presumed range, speed, and firepower."

"Would it be possible to use these weapons; equip 'em to our Vipers?"

"Not without a full construction facility, and even then we'd still have to figure out what makes these things work. It'd be nice to have someone take a look at the systems in the pilot seat to see how similar they are to the 'normal' Mk I's."

"I guess that leaves me, eh Bill?"

"I guess. Lets go talk to Athena again. You ought to talk to her beforehand, and I'll need a hand when she wants a tour of this ship," the Commander replied, as he started walking back. Tigh followed.

"How do you know she'll want a tour?"

"Trust me on this one; I have a gut instinct on it, and the last thing I need is to give her any information I don't need her knowing."

- - -

Athena was just laying there, thinking about what might be going on outside this room. She could feel that the gravity was artificial, since she had nothing better to do. They weren't too advanced, and one could even feel it in the gravity. Obviously, it didn't seem to bother these people much. She wondered if they noticed it.

:There was a sound of the hatch opening, and two men walking in. She sat back up on the bed, waiting to see what they wanted. She recognized the first one as the Commander, but there was another old man with him. He was balding, a bit taller, and with a sullen, mean aura on his face. Why would such a man be coming in? She surmised she was going to be interrogated in an old fashioned way… one that only worked on the living.

"Miss Athena, allow me to introduce my XO, Colonel Tigh." Colonel Tigh? He was the XO on Galactica. She found it a little entertaining, but she was still worried about why Tigh was here.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, miss," he said in a gruff voice. Now she began to lighten up. She still didn't understand him, but she felt less threatened by him now.

"Thank you, Colonel."

"Lets get down to the business at hand, Miss Athena," the Commander softly spoke. "We'd like you to tell us some about your Viper." The technology, so that's what they wanted. It's not like she knew too much on how it worked, but she probably knew more then they did.

"And why should I tell you?" She asked, smugly. She might have been overplaying her cards, but it had always worked for Starbuck. Then the Commander smiled, and inwardly, she shook.

"I suspected you might like a tour of our… ship." He was holding something back, again. Still, she might be able to find out what they were hiding…

"Alright, I'll bite. I'll take the tour, then bring me to my Viper." The Commander looked over at Tigh, and he walked out in advance.

"Tell me a little more about where you come from." He sounded sincere about his curiosity, but she was a little hesitant.

"You first." She smiled. He turned around for a moment… was he hiding a smile? "How about your name, at least."

"Alright, you get that much." He paused, as if to think about if for a moment. "William Husker, but call me Bill. Or the Old Man, but not to my face." He smiled again as she stood up, and the two headed for the door.


	4. The Captains Daughter

The halls were an interesting piece of work. Definitely militarily styled, efficient, speaking of the ship's nature in conflict. Athena could see rust on the walls, speaking of her age. Chances are, this was not the happiest place to be. Something had happened here, or something was happening. The ship deserved to be a museum piece, which was about the condition she was in. If the ship had been from the twelve colonies, there's no doubt it would be. That, or heavily refitted for combat, again. It couldn't be too big... or could it?

"How big is this ship, Bill?" she asked as they walked through the halls. They did seem to go on forever, surrounded by opening and closing hatches. Old style communications systems were seen now and then. She imagined it couldn't be more than a couple hundred meters. They simply didn't have that kind of technology.

"1,414 meters," he said, continuing to walk down the halls. She ignored his quick indifference to telling her anything more, in favor of examining the number. Galactica wasn't even 1,300 meters long, and they had much better technology than these people. It was... odd, to say the least.

"How many of these spaceships do you have?" She asked again.

"That's Classified." Not many. Maybe just the one. Given, that was just the assumption, but one was enough. Galactica had survived, and so far the Cylons still hadn't destroyed the fleet. One was enough for certain purposes. Still, so long yet so backwards tech-wise. They entered a corridor no one was in. Empty. She wondered why, until she looked around. There were pictures everywhere. The walls were covered with them.

And as soon as they had gone in, they were through. Back into the open. Something had happened here. She had seen pictures of kids, civilians, as well as military personnel. They were mostly civilian, actually. Something had hit these people hard. Athena had an instinct to ask, but there was no reason to. There was some kind of understanding by just being taken through there.

- - -

Commander Adama finally reached the CIC after a long walk. Athena had trailed him all the way there, asking questions now and then. He only had to give quick answers. She didn't ask about Memorial Hall, though. Maybe she knew already, or maybe she was just puzzled. Regardless, she didn't ask, and the less she knew for now, the better.

Tigh had come in earlier, and informed the crew of the switch in positions, as well as everyone else. They would now address him as 'Captain Husker,' and Lee would be called 'Command Pilot Lee,' as well as all pilots being referred to by their first name. Tigh was heading down to the interrogation room now, to talk to the Cylon prisoner. It'd be in her best interest to cooperate, and they all knew it. Except Athena, but that was a given.

"This is the CIC of the ship. Any questions?" Bill didn't know why he was so brief with it. Officially, he just wanted her to know as little as possible, but it was partially he couldn't exactly explain it. It just was. Besides, she likely knew what a CIC was.

"Are those the Scanners?" Athena asked. She pointed to one of the DRADIS consoles. It was technically a form of a scanner, but probably not the same as what she was used to. Besides, she needed to know proper terms, at least.

"We call it the DRADIS Console, but I think they serve the same purpose."

"Interesting. I like it. It looks better." 'Captain Husker' gave a quick laugh, before preparing to continue the tour.

- - -

"This is the Interrogation Room," said the Captain. She was hoping she wasn't the one to be interrogated, since Tigh was here. She was slightly relieved when she saw someone else in there. The two got a good look at one another, before she left again.

- - -

"So, was she another Cylon like yourself?" Tigh asked.

"No. She's not one of us. I've never seen her before," the Eight responded

"I hope your telling the truth, or that thing in you may not live to ever see the light of day." The Eight didn't answer. There was nothing to say. They both knew it was the truth.

- - -

"And these will be your quarters until further notice. I hope they're... accommodating enough." Commander Adama said.

"They should be captain." Athena took a look inside, after tediously opening the hatch.

"You'll have guards escort you throughout the ship. They know where you can and can't go. We'll visit the hanger Tomorrow. For now, get a good night's sleep." He said, a bit more warmly. A bit more Fatherly.

"Thank you, Captain Husker." She smiled, before closing the hatch. He began to walk back towards his own bunk when he met up with Saul. "So, what did our prisoner have to say?"

"Not a Cylon. That much I believe, I guess."

"Hmm..." Bill thought for a bit.

"What is it?" Colonel Tigh asked.

"Carolanne and I had always wanted a daughter. We had hoped Zac would've turned out as a girl. Perhaps there is such a thing as the Gods, Saul."

"So you think she's your daughter, now?"

"I'm definitely open to the possibility... but we'll have to give it a few days. See where things go. There isn't much else to explain it."

"I don't know, Bill. You're walking a fine line, here."

"We've been walking a fine line since the Colonies were destroyed. I see no reason to accept another member into the family. It'll be a while before any of the kids grow up, you know."

"Eh, I know... I just can't shake the feeling like something big is coming."


End file.
